Three ways how the National Soccer Development Centre will help the Whitecaps

A rendering of the National Development Soccer CentrePhoto by
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Last week, the Whitecaps and provincial government revealed plans for a $23.5-million National Soccer Development Centre at the University of B.C.

How will the complex impact the MLS club?

Here are three ways: It’s obvious the Whitecaps had already been selling players on at least the promise of grass fields. Young-Pyo Lee signed in December and promptly moved into a house on the UBC campus. But without the training centre officially in place, there was a cost to recruitment.

Coach Martin Rennie says that a potential impact player slipped through their fingers.

“There was one guy, a really high-profile player, who would have made a significant impact on MLS in my option, who wouldn’t have cost much money, but didn’t want to train on turf,” Rennie said. “Hopefully going forward, that won’t be an issue. Recruitment is crucial.”

The reality of MLS, for the foreseeable future, is that “stars”, or at least known players, who make the move from Europe to North America are going to be north of 30. In other words, the type of player who isn’t going to want to train on the fake stuff every day.

The move to grass is a big boost for the Caps’ sales pitch.

“The missing piece,” said club president Bobby Lenarduzzi.

Hard to argue since the city sells itself.

It also can’t hurt the Caps’ ability to attract top international teams, who bristle at the thought of risking tens of millions in talent on turf.An old adage, but one that ignores the quality of said practice.

And according to Rennie, the difference between training on turf and training on grass, over the course of an entire season, is huge for a professional club.

Future sessions will, at times, be longer, and they’ll certainly be more intense.

“On turf you can probably only train to about 60 to 70 per cent of what you would on grass,” said Rennie. “That’s hugely significant over the course of a season because you can’t get the fitness gains, strength gains, speed gains, that you could if you were on grass every day.

“And just the quality of your play goes up when you’re on grass all the time.”

Not to mention the quality of players’ bodies and minds.

There are also strategic elements in play here.

Generally, teams want to train on grass before facing an opponent on grass, and might train on turf ahead of a game on turf. With a few exceptions — like when Swangard Stadium has been available — the Caps haven’t had that option.

It might seem like an insignificant point, or simply an excuse for a crappy road record, but there’s no question that despite major advances in turf technology, there are still perceptible differences in ball physics.Just picture it. Rennie sitting in an office at UBC, perhaps with a view of a pitch or two. First team here. U18s and U16s there. The U14s within shouting distance.

After training, players of all ages crossing paths in the clubhouse, mentoring, shadowing, gleaning bits of information.

“What we’re really trying to do is integrate the first team with the youth team much, much more and we’ve taken steps to do that,” said Rennie. “But seeing them more regularly is important because then you get to know who’s coming through and what they need to work on. It just unites the club and that’s crucial to our success moving forward. Developing young players is what we need to do.”

Added captain Jay DeMerit: “The youth can inspire us and we can inspire the youth.”

The clubhouse won’t be ready until 2015, but there will be temporary office space and a locker room at the hockey rink by the spring of next year.

“In a season where it’s a long grind of here, there and everywhere,” said DeMerit, “it’s nice to have a home base.”

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